Timeless
by the ticking clock
Summary: Magnus and Tessa's conversation from City of Glass.


It had been nearly two decades since he had seen her.

Two decades, which passed like a blink of an eyes to an immortal. he had not expected to find her here, at the celebration, had not expected her to come at all. He barely recognized her, in her modern day, flowing white dress, her hair, down and curling over her shoulders like a silky waterfall. Even now, when he pictured her, he saw her with Jem: laughing, and curled up against his side, a book in her hand. He saw her with Will, sobbing into his shoulder, and his arms coming around her, his own heartbroken howls ringing through the night. It was Will who comforted her, stayed with her, those hard, painful years after Jem had died. They had clung to each other, until Will's death.

And then it had been Magnus's turn.

He still did not know how it had happened. How exactly the young warlock had ended up on his door step, but the years that followed he remembered with clarity. The dances in the rain, the decades spent traveling the world, the laughs they had shared. And he remembered the tears, the feeling of her whole body trembling with sobs, and the sting of her hot tears against his chest. In those moments, he had been all she had in the world.

And you could never forget a bond like that.

They separated, after a time, naturally, but still, Magnus made a point of calling her every couple years. Lately though, he had not been so good at keeping up with the past; he had been trying to forget about it. And now, here she was. gray-eyed., beautiful Tessa Gray.

She walked up to him and looked him over, her lips twitching at the sight of his spiked hair, his glittering clothes. She did not speak, simply watched him for awhile, lips slightly parted, as though she was going to say something.

Finally, she blinked, tilting her head to the side in a characteristic gesture, and opened her arms.

Grinning, he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. She felt the same, smelled the same. She was still Tessa. Still that beautiful sixteen year old girl he had met over a hundred years ago. Still the stubborn, feisty young lady who had cared for Will, for Jem. She was still one of his best, and oldest, friends.

He pulled away after a minute and touched her on the cheek, noticing the gleam of unshed tears in her eyes. "It's good to see you again, darling."

She smiled at him. "I've missed you, Magnus."

He laughed, fingering a lock of her hair, absently, as he had done so many times before. "How are you, Tess?"

The use of Will's old nickname for her caught her by superise. She blinked, clearing the access moisture from her eyes, and Magnus felt a sharp stab of guilt.

'Forgive me." He said. "It was foolish of me to forget." Even now, he slipped into the formal language of the 1800's with her, out of habit.

Her lips twitched, acknowledging his gesture of kindness, and she motioned with her head, towards where Alec and Jace where standing, heads together. "He looks like him."

Magnus nodded, feeling the familiar tingle in his stomach as he looked at his boyfriend, the glow that rose through his whole body. Sparks flew from his fingertips.

Tessa giggled and leaped backward, covering her mouth with her hand. She grinned at him, her somber mood vanishing suddenly in reaction to his thoughtless gesture. "You love him don't you?"

When Magnus said nothing to this, she stepped closer, her breath tickling the side of his face. "Magnus. I know you too well."

He turned and smiled at her. "you do, don't you Miss Grey?"

She smirked, tugging at a lock of his hair.

"Magnus!" Clary was waving to him, wobbling towards him on high heels, her smile incandescent.

"I believe that's my cue to leave," Tessa said softly, stepping away from him.

"Tessa-"

She tossed him a smile over her shoulder. "We will see each other again soon, Magnus. I promise."

And he knew they would. It might have been decades since their last visit, but they were immortal. They had all the time in the world.


End file.
